A gamble with my life at stake. Borderline suicide.

I took a deep breath trying to calm my nerves.

The path to the right or the path straight ahead? The monster is fast, faster than me. As soon as it gets its large body through the hatch, it would be but seconds before its long, sharp scythes find their way through my flesh. Like the hunter or the villager; decapitated, dismembered, torn to pieces, though not eaten.

The monster doesn't eat its prey. An assumption sprouted after I got to see the massacre at the village. The hapless villagers meet an insufferable end; butchered by a thing they got no means or luck fighting or escaping. Yet, none of the bodies or, for the less fortunate, minced remains, have been eaten or have any trace of chews or bits.

The assumption was later on confirmed by Zane.

Which begets even more questions. Questions I may, unfortunately, not get the chance to ever ask. Still, the knowledge doesn't make the monstrosity any less dreadful. Besides, why should I be worried about what my body becomes after death? Would that matter at all? It wouldn't, at least not for me.

Death severs any connection the living had to life, hence why they are dead. Of course, the prospect of a monster eating my flesh and turning my flesh into shit is revolting and unpleasant. But if I'm dead then I'm dead. Worried over such a thing is for the living to care, thus why I forced myself to worry... that doesn't make sense, does it?

I shook my head and bolted, my decision made.

I like to believe myself as a fair man, on the frame of the reason of course. Yet the current situation is all but reasonable, though, I'm striving for fairness. The monster put my life at stake, so is all but fair to do the same.

... yeah, that is not rational either.

Both injured and defenseless yet dare to think of putting that thing's life at stake. If that's not irrational, I don't know what it is.

However, that is the plan and I'm sticking with it. I'm well aware of the risks it entails. but what other option do I have? Going straight ahead will get me killed before even reaching its end let alone the safety. The monster is fast, extremely so, and in a straight course, the demise would be inevitable.

Heading right? The corner would probably cause it the loose momentum due to inertia. But then, even without momentum, my chances of outrunning it are laughable. But, even if we assume, by some miracle, I was able to, I still won't have escaped it. What if I run into a dead end or a sealed hatch for instance?

I regret not exploring with the team, but regret won't change anything. The fact remains, right and straight paths are a dark zone for me. Taking any of the two paths will come down to putting all the eggs in the luck basket. Where the eggs are my chances of survival.

As soon as I turned the left corner the ground shook. Did it get through? Putting more strength on my legs and pushed as much as I could. The boots aren't made for this type of activity, yet I didn't care. And Tried to use the front foot each time a foot landed or drove the ground. Any attempt at regulating my breathing failed. All my focus was on the path in front of me, on my legs, at running.

The right and the straight direction may lead to a dead end or may not, but the left direction is, undoubtedly, a dead end... yet it was that dead end that I chose.

The left direction. Where the breakroom and the sealed hatch are located. By taking this path, I'm sealing my fate, either I die, or it dies. Thus why it's a gamble with my life in it. It always has been. From the moment I woke up, each decision I took, none of them nor their repercussions were risks free.

This time around is no different. I don't like it, but who would? The more you fight the higher the chances of facing what you can't. Yet you can't stop fighting, you aren't allowed. You don't have a say let alone a choice.

GUHHAAAAA

As I rounded the second corner, I spotted it from the corner of my eye as it awkwardly shifted its body, resisting the inertia with its claws on the wall. I didn't give it an in-depth look, I couldn't afford it. It will be on me in less than ten seconds, probably less. Though, instead of feeling more distressed, I felt a sense of eagerness and some relief. It's there and it's still open. The cause that compelled me to go through with this gamble.

The hatch.

Not just any hatch; one that opens and closes by user intervention; a button. My one, and only chance in getting out of this alive. I would have chosen another direction had I known they had a similar door... or probably not. The other directions seem lengthy and the hatch, in case they had any, wouldn't be already open either. Which would have saved time, when time is of the essence.

I halted abruptly after I went through the threshold of the hatch, and turned around. My breath comes in short gasps and my heart is hammering against my chest, eyes open wide at the corner, waiting, my hand hovering above the button.

One chance. One chance. One chance.

I screamed inwardly, hand trembling, fighting the urge to press the red button. I swallowed thickly as I attempted another time to activate my ability.

[Click]

... and nothing.

The moment when I needed it the most. Fuck.

The hatch has a delay, in opening and closing, for security reasons likely. Not a bad thing considering that same delay is the only reason I was still alive. Nonetheless, in the current situation, that delay may as well be the reason I will die.

This is why I desperately needed my ability to activate. I need the gift right now, more precisely its calculation aspect. How much it would take for the hatch to close after I press the button? How much it would take for the monster to reach the hatch threshold? I need it to calculate the right moment to press the button.

But my ability is now broken, damaged, and not working. I could only leave it to luck once more.

GUAA.

I jolted as the Shredder crashed into the wall as it attempted to veer into the direct corner. It's here and it's big, its protruded shoulders almost brushing the ceiling. Shredders are agile. Despite the fact that their legs are short in comparison to their bodies' size, their arms are long and strong, compensating for them with ease. Which made them fast, agile, and deadly. However, in the current environment, its advantage is hardly displayed. The corridor is neither wide enough nor tall for it to move as it pleases.

Yet, still way faster than I would like.

GUAAAAA

It hurdled and howled with its barbed mouth not even trying to stabilize its balance. Was it time? Was it not? I don't know but pushed the big, red button still. The sound of the two parts moving closer to each other was dulled by the monster's cry.

I resisted the urge to push one more time to quicken the process. It would certainly have the opposite of the intended effect. I spun around and bolted away. To the breakroom. Staying here to find out the outcome of my action is unwise. Fortunately, I'm not freezing in terror as the first time I confronted a Shredder. My legs, though shaking, didn't give up.

I'm a bit apprehensive, but I did what I could do. Now all I have to do is to wait, at the end of it is my salvation, death by a monster's claw, or... by starvation, in case the door closed before the monster reaches it, trapping me here at the same time.

KGAUGHH

A shrill scream reached my ears. It's different from its usual one. The door latched on it. It closed. I wanted to smile... but not yet. The fight is still going on. A fight between a door and a monster.

I hope that whoever built the hatch isn't some sort of safety enthusiast.

GUHHAAAAAAA

Another cry, much louder this time, yet not closer. Good. I pushed the door of the breakroom and then closed it behind me. Next sealed it with the two barrel bolts, one at the top and the second at the bottom of the left door. That was but the first layer.

I took off the arm sling of my neck, it was getting in the way. My right shoulder hurt still, but I need both arms to move the couches to the entrance. The two barrel bolts can hardly prove any hindrance to the monstrous strength of the Shredder. Though, I don't believe the wooden doors or the couches will be any different. Better than nothing I guess.

The monster's cries didn't cease as I moved the couches. Each cry caused my heart to leap through my throat, and for my movement to halt to listen carefully. Every scream sounded like the executioner sharpened his axe.

It did, however, confirm the monster got trapped by the hatch, but it didn't kill it. Worst it could still likely free itself.

I put one couch on top of another at the entrance, it muffled the screams lightly but I could still hear them. I looked around; the room only had one entrance and no window. I'm doomed if that thing freed itself.

How the fuck did things end up like this? Didn't she say nothing will come near us without noticing it? What is this then? What the fuck is this?

I took deep breaths trying to slow down my racing heart while examining myself. I was in hast after getting flung away by the Shredder's blow and didn't have time to check for any new injury.

Fortunately, there was none. Other than pain and bruise, no broken bone or bleeding was on my chest. My shoulder, though, could be better. The wound most likely opened, judging by the pulsating sharp pain and the blood. Yet, I ignored it, it was the last of my worries at the moment.

The wails continued for some time before they started to gradually die down. Was it ten or fifteen minutes? It felt like hours. Hours I spend fixating the barricaded entrance with bloodshot eyes while passing back and forth in the room. I tried to sit down, to calm my nerve to no avail. Did it free itself? It probably did. It will come in, it will find the room, it will break that door, it's on the way. The voice didn't quiet down, I couldn't get it to stop.

After the screams stopped, a deafening silence settled, save for the buzz of the incandescent lightbulbs. I focused all my hearing on any noise small or big, that come from the other side of the walls. Time seems to halt as I waited for the door, the barricades to blast, and for the monstrous abomination to jump at me. I waited and waited and then... nothing.

I released the air I unconsciously was holding in my lungs.

I need to see it.

I wouldn't be at ease until I confirmed it with my eyes. I waited a couple of minutes more before I hastily started to remove the couches from the entrance. My shoulder complained but I didn't heed any of it.

After the barricade got dismantled, the locks were next, starting from the bottom barrel bolt. When I reached my hand to unlock the one at the top, my gaze was drawn to the door glass window and my blood froze.

Two small, black eyes stared back at me.